Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-10


"to sink themselves into the mire
of disgrace" as Indebitatus" says,
in order 10 defeat General Ma
hone and restore the Democratic party
TO power-for that is where the g bayo-
nets point" comes in. But having
swallowed the Riddleberger bill-a
piece of high-handed-i. C., arbitrary
oppressive, unreasonable" repudia-
ton" in order to keep out Malone
by keeping in with the people. it is
not unnatural to expect that for the
same consideration and under the same
circumstances "Indebitatus " and his
friends may overcome their scruples as
before and swallow what they consider
another dirty act to save the coun-
try.
Asa Democrat and one OF the people,
! am in favor of giving them the OPP
portunity. And that, | think, Is the
general, and in the country the we'll
nigh unanimous sentiment. If l am
mistaken, and tho people are willing to
extend the time Of operation OF the Rid
dleberger bill, / shall chow to the
majority of the people" But II
they should not, then l concede 10
any one the right, which the Re
adjusters once claimed and exercised,
to renounce allegiance to party
whose prime measures he may think
destructive OF the rights Of the people
or the honor of the State. l concede
10 "Ipdebitatus as much sincerity in
bis conclusion that very large ma
jority of Yirginians think it better not
TO disturb the status ono at this time
as claim for my opposite convictions;
and can see some ground for difle-
renee OF opinion arising from the pro-
baby different standpoints we oc-
cupy. In a trading community
such, for instance, as Richmond,
Of which | presume "Indebitatus
is citizen Il hope q wealthy
ore)-the indebtedness of their bu-
siness-men is generally greater than
their property, as We see when they
become bankrupt they operate very
largely on credit, which they must pre-
serve, or go to the wall Hence
prompt compliance with their engage
ments is necessary to their sOlyency,
which would be impaired or destroyed
if they should take time to ascertain
their obligations in the case. This af-
fects their habits OF thought, and is q
truth written on nearly every page of
commercial law. But, on the contrary,
man in the country has his credit de-
termined by his visible estate, real or
personal, or both. The security for his
debt depends, not on. his promptness,
but on his known means Of payment.
He therefore neither feels nor sees tho
necessity of paying a debt which he
does not owe in order to keep off the
charge ofrepudiationw which he despises.
If, in addition to this, the cities are
prosperous and the country depressed.
1t will he easily seen that the cities will
rather lean to the payment of a tax
even though they know it to have been
iraudulently imposed-which they do
not feel very heavily, except as they
may be restrained by 8 personal pa
tliotism or a patriotic public opinion,
or by tie good sense which points out
the inevitable reaction that follows such
recognition of fraud. Equally plain
is it, on the other hand, that the cOun-
try will resist the payment Of the same
tax, for it is to them burden grievous
to be borne.
And this is just what we see, TO some
extent, in Virginia at this time. In the
cities the coupon-tenderer invokes this
sentiment TO excuse his selfish use of
coupons, whilst the general Indignation
of the country people forbids their use
ameDg them.
1t may illustrate the point ! am at
tempting to make to consider the fol-
lowing figures. They are taken from
the books in the Office of the Auditor
of Public Accounts, or from the annual
report Of that officer for the year end
ing September 80, 1856;
No. /.
ASSESSED vAIJE OF THE REAL Estate .oP VIZ
GINA.
In cities. Couniies. TotH.
$50 SO POS 3S2 90 fisl 100 ~ % 1851 GO7, 93l %
1879. Cl,Gi5,O93 10 lS6sl0 SO % 2l>45j,g3} -
Total increase. .......,........s 0152,OOl Cl
No. ,.
Ccmraring cities and counties It appoars-
The real estate in the cities has in
cfeasod................ ..........s N,JG3,9'S q
Tho real estate in counties hasde-
creased. ....-.....-....'.'. ...... 14iI'2>o %
Total Increase. sI59,OOl 81
No. 3.
Assessed value Of personal property
In, ~ 10 QTI u
IN lei9.............-'.'.''' ......'' b''S'ii'9 W
Total increGse...............S 5,15S,l9j u
10. {.
, Total valuation for the year ISsj- 90 -
fcal estate t2i7. GO7.93i %
Personal property. ............ S3.lJ2.9d 81
ssN,76OU5 %
Total revenue from the above for tho year
~ Citiee Counties. Total.
estate, :. 8 oCii5a s5s 7a5,4S3 9n,o!ogs5 A
talon N.Y. =. 1854 90 g7O.no 90 siG,s93 %
property ss,Gi6 IS sis69s OF 1896 60
Tota'... S 4is.g93 % l,939,Gol 5l.sl,Gss,595 o.
IS the personal property OF the coun-
try consists of crops, live stock, farm
ing implements, furniture, and equi-
pages, and as all know that there has
been 10 increase in price or amount OF
these in the country since 1879, it is
clear that the increase in Table
ISIS, l5S, 49, ~ must be added to that
in Table . (S14, 5G3, 2SS.2D, making a
total for the cities of S29, 72l, 7S3 -.
And so it appears that the country pays
nearly three times as much tax on their
deprcciating property as do the cities
on their approaching property. These
facts from therecordm help to explain
why the cities may be willing to abide
by the Riddleberger bill, whilst the
country is prepared to reduce the offer
to Sl2. 900, 600, $1,000, 600, or nothing.
but always respects as sacred what
NAV be funded under it up to its re-
peal.
In Justice to the cities, it is fair to
say that so far the very large majority
of the taxpayers appear to be superior
to the temptations which beset them
/ have not the data for a comparison of
the number and value of coupons ten
dered this year and last; but l learn